This is the fourth of several articles looking at currently active regional tracks of Victoria. A brief review will be taken of the history of club’s in Ballarat area (previous/closed/current).
Regional Tracks : BALLARAT
Ballarat city is located in the Central Highlands of Victoria, 110 kms (68 miles) north west of Melbourne. Its population exceeds 105,000, making it the third largest city in both Victoria and inland Australia.
Horse racing in the Ballarat area commenced under the auspices of the Ballarat and Cesswick Turf Club (Ballarat Turf Club from 1858) at Dowling Forest (nine and half furlongs) on 8 November 1854. The first recorded trotting match race took place in Ballarat as part of the Ballarat and Cesswick Turf Club meeting on 16 December 1856 between trotters Blueskin, gelding (owner Mr Cohen; rider Kettle) and Mrs McNab, mare (owner Mr Hayne; rider Taylor). The race over six miles involved four circuits of the track taking 23 minutes 11 seconds with Blueskin distancing Mrs McNab.
Further trotting match races at Ballarat under saddle included on 21 May 1857 for geldings over six miles where RB Dent’s Tommy defeated Mr Herring’s Daisy in 24 minutes 23 seconds, with impromptu match races all being part of race programmes.
The first official trotting race at Dowling Forest was held on 14 April 1859 for thirty sovereigns plus a sweepstake of two sovereigns per competitor. With just three starters, Mr English’s gelding Tommy won easily. In December 1859 another trot restricted to those horses owned by local Ballarat residents formed part of the last days programme at the four day Ballarat Turf Club’s meeting. For a stake of twenty sovereigns plus sweepstake of two sovereigns per competitor, Mr Ettershank’s Darkie defeated his five rivals.
The longest trotting race ever over one hundred miles between Proctor’s gelding Archy (11st 7lb) and Warrens mare Whistler (11st) was held on Monday 14 February 1861 for a stake of £150 per side. The journey was fixed from the 46 mile mark on the Ararat Road into Ballarat to the Western Hotel in Geelong. The winner was Archy who covered the distance in 7 hours 36 minutes including one hour for stoppages.
A meeting of interested persons was held at Baths Hotel on Friday 9 August 1861 with a view to forming a trotting club in Ballarat. The club was named the Ballarat and Cesswick Trotting Club with its first officials elected with Rules and Constitution drafted at a meeting on 27 August 1861. The Ballarat and Cesswick Trotting Club was the first Victorian country trotting club and the first to specifically promote trotting. Holding its inaugural meeting on Friday 25 October 1861 on the one mile Miners Racecourse (Dowling Forest thoroughbred grass track), the site on which Bray Raceway presently stands. Thus trotting has been a feature of the Ballarat landscape for the past one hundred and sixty years.
The first meeting included a four race programme made up of a three heat Maiden Saddle Trot of one mile for three sovereigns each with twenty five sovereigns added : winner of two of three heats was Mr W Kirk’s Tommy; Grand Harness Trot of six miles for one hundred sovereigns, seven sovereigns entry : winner Mr Robert Orr’s Mazeppa; Handicap Saddle Trot of four miles for seventy five sovereigns, five sovereigns entry : winner Mr Bowes Little John; Harness Trot of one mile for fifty sovereigns, three sovereigns entry : winner Mr W Warrens Whisker. In addition a private race worth ten sovereigns at catch weights was held between Mr O’Donnell’s mare Minette (winner) and Mr Wrights Northumberland.
It was reported that “There were no less than 2000 people on the ground and both the members’ stand and the grandstand were crowded with an aristocratic detachment of both sexes who had the opportunity of viewing the sports and being viewed in turn themselves. Of the races, we may say that they afforded infinite satisfaction and the arrangements were excellent. The course was in very good condition, and not a single accident of any moment occurred during the race meeting”.
On 28 February 1862 a meeting was held between the miner’s pits (Miners Common) known as the Albion and Great Extended Races which included one trotting race won by Mr Rankin’s Tommy. A match race comprising three one mile heats at Dowling Forest on Friday 16 May 1862 was touted as the “Ballarat Champion Trotting Match” between American Henry Hoyt’s Dosy and Robert Orr’s Mazeppa. This was to be the first £1,000 country trot in Victoria. Mazeppa was found to be lame the evening before the race, vet Mr Forbes certified her as “lame in the near hind fetlock from a sprain of the suspensory ligament” and her stable followers decided not to make the final stake payment and thereby forfeited the match.
The second meeting of the Ballarat and Cesswick TC was held on 10 April 1863 consisting of a five race programme. In the first, future champion Sir William Don established a new Australian record mile rate of 2:41.2 in winning the opening heat of the Maiden Trot over 1½m in 4 minutes 2 seconds; he won the second heat in 4 minutes 12 seconds. The other winners on the day were : Whisker (Champion Trot, six miles and Grand Saddle Trot, four miles); Cranky Poll (all three mile heats of Grand Harness Trot); Happy Jack (Selling Hack Trot, three miles). Note – Sir William Don set a further record at Ballarat in 1866 when recording a 2:43.3MR over a four mile journey.
The Miners racecourse operated on a large land reserve bounded by Pleasant Street, Bell Street, Sutton Street and Rubicon Street. The land, an area of 86 acres, 1 rod and 7 perches, surrounded by a three rail hard fence around the track, was gazetted on 4 April 1865 and permanently reserved on 8 October 1886.
The racecourse operated from the 1860’s for twenty years before it was discontinued. Reopening as the Miners’ Turf Club, a new galvanized iron fence was put up and a new grandstand erected with it being described in 1901 as being one of the best racing facilities in the state, also being home of the Ballarat South fox terrier coursing club.
Following moves to take away the opportunity for trotting enthusiasts to conduct trotting meetings on thoroughbred courses, the original Ballarat & Cesswick TC (1861 – 1863) disbanded. As a consequence, there were no trotting clubs in Victoria in the period 1864 – 1906 although there were a number of individual trotting races on race day cards. In 1906 the Victorian Breeders and Owners Association was tasked with the responsibility for trotting’s oversight in Victoria.
A meeting at the Commercial Hotel on 1 October 1912 considered the establishment of a new trotting club in Ballarat. The new club was formed on Monday 9 December 1912 at Davey’s Commercial Hotel. The Ballarat and District Trotting Club held its inaugural meeting on 18 January 1913 at the Buninyong Racecourse (advertised as a picnic meeting) with a six race programme for stakes of just thirty four guineas. All future meetings were held at the Miners Turf Club racecourse at Redan (first on 15 March 1913) with the exception of one meeting at the Ballarat North Speedway (Northern Sports Ground) on 29 March 1930 (earlier four unofficial races held on the Speedway – 13 April 1929). A six furlong cinders track was laid down in the early ninety twenties.
After the meeting at the Miners racecourse numerous other venues and towns within the region hosted the Ballarat and District Trotting Club including Learmonth, Linton, Waubra, Windermere and Smythesdale resulting in race meetings being held regularly. The Miners Racecourse was the facility most regularly used with meetings conducted on Saturday afternoons. In total the club held one hundred and thirty meetings at Miners Turf Club course between 1913 and 1936 before the sport was forced into a recess in the late 1930’s and throughout the 1940’s due to the Second World War. The last meeting held took place on Easter Saturday 11 April 1936.
During this period, the famous Pearl Kelly won at the January 1921 meeting in front of a large crowd; the “original” Ballarat Cup was run annually from 1920 until 1933 and Ballarat’s “Big meeting” was listed to occur on Saturday 15 November 1930 when the richest meeting held outside the metropolitan area since WWI featured 267 entries for eight races!! This included the Open Trot for £400 and trophy contested by the best trotter in Australia in Paddy McKinney (winner) and best pacer in the land Auburn Lad (third in saddle).
After WWII and the passing of the Night Trotting Bill in 1948, a working Committee was set up to form an all new Ballarat and District Trotting Club. The only place that would suffice as a suitable venue for night trotting in Ballarat was at the local Showgrounds, the property of the Ballarat and District Show Society. The Ballarat and District Trotting Club reformed at a meeting on Monday 29 August 1948 at Craig’s Royal Hotel. The initial meetings run by the “new club” were held at the Miners Racecourse with Tuesday 4 January 1949 being the date of the first meeting, one of three dates for the 1948/9 season. The club’s foundation President was the redoubtable Eric Cochran. The Miners racecourse had been used for harness racing from 1861 to 1950.
Shifting to Ballarat Showgrounds for the 1949/50 season, the 670 yard (three furlongs) track held its inaugural meeting on 3 January 1950 with doubles to 3yo Purple Sage and driver George Gath before a crowd of 5,000. The new track had been jointly financed by the Ballarat and District Trotting Club together with the Ballarat A&P Society. At the second meeting held on 16 February 1950 the newly built Totemobile make its first appearance at a Victorian racetrack. The shift in headquarters to the Ballarat Showgrounds provided the potential to construct light towers for night race meetings and on Easter Monday 1952 night trotting arrived in Ballarat.
In 1963 when a portion of the Miners Racecourse came up for lease due to the amalgamation of the two local turf clubs, the Ballarat and District Trotting Club began negotiations to head back to its old stomping ground. The lease was signed in 1964 and construction on the site commenced.
On 27 October 1966 an estimated 14,000 people witnessed the venue being opened by Sir Henry Bolte, then Premier of Victoria, with the venue named Bray Raceway in honour of the Club’s President at the time Keith Bray**. An eight race programme included driving successes for Norman Gath (first race on Bray Raceway and a later race), Gordon Rothacker, NSW visitor Vic Frost and Ringo while Bill Davies drove grand pacing performer’s Future Intangible and Future Monarch to victory.
** Keith Bray was President from 1959 – 1973 and a member of the Trotting Control Board from 1956 – 1973.
The racecourse was considered by many as the best country track in Australia with its features of a four furlong track (804m) 50 feet wide having 1 and 1/8 furlong bends and 7/8 furlong straights. The surface of the track was made up of granitic sand forming the top layer and crushed rock which formed the base. Over 40,000 cubic metres of soil was shifted to form the foundation of the half mile track. The venue was used for night harness racing with the erection of Quartz Iodine lighting. Financing for the Bray Raceway development was provided by the National Bank.
On Boxing Day evening 1969, Tara Meadow (George Gath) paced by Danderloo time trialled in 1:59.6, the first sub two minute time recorded in Victoria. The Ballarat Pacing Cup was run for the first time on 27 January 1971. On 18 January 1984 the Prendergast Ballarat Oaks Trial won by champion Jasmarilla commenced an unbeaten 34 year run before being discontinued in 2018. The first sub two minute performance in a race occurred on 13 October 1984 – Once More rated 1:59.7 (1,750m Brian Gath).
Racing commenced on a new 1,000m track on 10 April 1992 with Ballarat being the first east coast club to replace the inside running rail with flexi posts together with an upgrade to a metal halide lighting system. Times A Marching (tr Bob Conroy, dr Anne Maree Conroy) won the inaugural race on the new circuit while Defoe established a new track record of 1:56.3 (tr/dr Ted Demmler) for a mile. Wagon Apollo set an Australasian trotting stallion’s mile record of T1:57.1TT on 15 November 1996.
A redevelopment of racing facilities costing in excess of $2 million dollars at Bray Raceway was officially opened on 3 October 1997 by the Minister for Sport, Recreation and Racing, Mr Tom Reynolds MP. Designed in a similar vein to Moonee Valley, the new look Bray Raceway provided the optimum in comfort and convenience for on-course patrons. Complimentary to the racing facilities it confirmed Ballarat’s position as a premier regional harness racing venue in Australia. The club employs its own catering staff producing high quality but reasonably priced restaurant facilities for patrons.
Since the late nineteen nineties, notable events at Bray Raceway have included :
- Since 24 April 1999, John Slack Memorial Trotters Cup replaced the Ballarat Trotters Cup run since 1984 (earlier version 1959 – 1960)
- 14 November 1999 five heats of the World Drivers Championship (three trotters, two pacers); winners Alan Haythornthwaite (England)/Sylvain Filon (Canada) two heats each and Ken Barron (NZ)
- 11 March 2001, 1:55 barrier equalled or bettered by three horses in the Time Trial series – Black Duke (1:53.7), Colbruce (1:54.0), Persistency (1:55.0)
- 19 January 2002, first 1:55 race time recorded by Johnny Wizard for driver Antony Butt (1:54.9, 1710m)
- Breeders Crown carnival hosted by Ballarat for first time in 2006; again in 2007
- Gordon Rothaker medal won by Ballarat club on numerous occasions as Club of the Year
- Further $300,000 facelift in 2011 included foyer entrance for events, ticket booths, improved public amenities and service yards
- The Storm Inside’s 1:50.7 (1710m) on 26 December 2019 is the quickest mile rate recorded to date at Bray Raceway
The Group 1 Ballarat Pacing Cup is the headline race for the club each season (January) with a notable honour roll filled with classy performers including Royal Gaze, Gammalite, Popular Alm, My Lightning Blue, Bag Limit, Sinbad Bay (twice), Our Sir Vancelot, Yulestar, Shakamaker, Jofess, Just An Excuse, Flashing Red, Stunin Cullen, Smolda (twice), Thefixer. As well as the Trotters Cup (John Slack Memorial), the Lightning/Electrical Mile run since 2013 and Holloway 3YO Classic run since 2007 are feature races.
The 150 years anniversary meeting on 22 October 2011 featured races honouring famous sportsman owner Robert Orr; his Grand Harness Trot winner Mazeppa; champion Sir William Don (entered and scratched on day of first Ballarat meeting 25 October 1861) and a saddle trot (Monte Trotters Cup).
The Interdominions have been a feature at Bray Raceway over the past two decades with heats of the Melbourne Trotters ID’s held in 2006, 2009, 2010 – two heats and 2012 when three heats run including a dead heat between ID winner I Can Doosit and I Didn’t Do It. In 2018 both pacers (three) and trotters (two) second round heats were held at Bray Raceway as part of the 2018 Melbourne ID series.
In summary, the Ballarat & District Trotting Club at Bray Raceway is located five minutes from Ballarat CBD. The club hosts approximately forty race days/nights per year. A premier country venue in Victoria due to its outstanding 1,000 metre racetrack and excellent on-course facilities, meals can be enjoyed from the Terrace Restaurant that overlooks the home straight of the track. The Morshead Park Greyhound track is situated over the back of the harness track.
Track Information –
Circumference: 999.01m
Length of Home Straight: 248m
Radius of Turns: 80m
Track surface: Granite Sand
Racing Distances: 1609m, 1710m, 2200m, 2710m
Direction: Anti-clockwise
Fields: Mobile – 10 Stand – 12
Front Line: Mobile and Stand – 7
Sprint Lane: No
Next Time : Bendigo
Peter Craig
28 July 2021
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
Driving The Future Of Harness Racing
